Systems Thinking in Europe

The theme ofthe conference at which the papers in this book were presented was'Systems Thinking in Europe'. Members of the United Kingdom Systems Society (UKSS) were conscious that the systems movementflourishes notonly in the UK, America and the Antipodes, but also in continental Europe, both East and West, and in the USSR, a nation increasingly being welcomed by the European comity. Membership of the UKSS had not perhaps had the opportunity, however, of hearing important new ideas from continental Europe, and this conference provided an opportunity to do so. Some interesting papers are to be found here from both the West and the East, if the editors may be forgiven for perpetuating what may be an increasingly irrelevant dichotomy. One lesson to be learned from this conference, though, is that systems thinking is truly international. This is not to say that there is one systems paradigm unifonnly applied, however. Perhaps the core of systems thinking is that one is interested in complex 'wholes' with emergent properties, to which cybernetic ideas can be applied. Examples of such systems thinking can be found in these proceedings, for example in the section entitled "Applications of Systems Thinking". Attempts to bring about change with these ideas, however, have given rise to a diversity of approaches, as is evidenced by the papers dealing with the application of methodologies in the 'hard' and 'soft' systems traditions.

About the authors Robert L. Flood, born 1955, is Professor of Management Sciences at the University of Hull, UK. He worked for 8 years in management with Paramount Pictures, National Opinion Polls and the Berkshire Area Health Authority, and actively pursues his management interests through consultancy, mainly in commercial organisations. He has authored 4 books, edited 2 others, is founding editor of the journal Systems Practice and has published in many other learned journals. Professor Flood holds a PhD in Systems Science and is also a Chartered Engineer. Michael C. Jackson, born 1951, is Professor of Management Systems at the University of Hull, UK. Prior to entering academic life he worked for 4 years in the civil service. He enjoys diverse consultancy interests with a particular focus on community projects and non-profit-making organisations. He has authored 2 books, edited 6 others, is deputy editor of the journal Systems Practice and has published in many other learned journals and contributed to several books. Professor Jackson holds a Masters degree in Systems and is currently Chair of the UK Systems Society.

Michael C. Jackson graduated from Oxford University and has since worked in public sector management, in academia, and as a consultant. He is Professor of Management Systems at the University of Hull, United Kingdom, and Director of its business school. Mike is author of "Systems Methodology for the Management Sciences," Plenum, 1991; "Creative Problem Solving," Wiley, 1991 (with R.L. Flood); "Systems Approaches to Management," Kluwer/Plenum, 2000; and numerous articles in academic and professional journals, including some of the most cited in the field. He is also editor-in-chief of "Systems Research and Behavioral Science" and associate editor of "Systems Practice and Action Research," Mike has been Chair of the UK Systems Society and President of the International Federation for Systems Research and the International Society for the Systems Sciences. His work has been translated into six languages and he has given invited lectures in over twenty countries. He is a Fellow of the British Computer Society, the Chartered Management Institute, and the Cybernetics Society.